2021 Land Rover Defender Review

Power comes from one of two engines:

• P300: turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (296 horsepower, 295 lb-ft of torque)
• P400: turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine (395 hp, 406 lb-ft)

All Defenders come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission, a two-speed transfer case (with low-range gearing) and all-wheel drive.

Five-passenger seating is standard. An available jump seat that fits between the two front seats boosts capacity to six passengers. The Defender 110 can also be had with a two-person third-row seat, but it cannot be combined with the jump seat.

Base
Standard feature highlights include:

• Adjustable air suspension (can raise or lower the Defender's ride height; standard on Defender 110 and optional on the 90)
• 18-inch steel wheels
• LED headlights
• Cloth seating with leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Power-adjustable front seats
• 10-inch touchscreen
• Six-speaker sound system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration

All Defenders also come with:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
• Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
• 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Defender and its surroundings for parking or off-roading situations)

S
Similar to the base but has:

• 19-inch wheels
• Leather and cloth upholstery
• Upgraded power-adjustable front seats

X-Dynamic S (Defender 90 only)
The X-Dynamic package is new for 2021, adding some of the top-level X's looks without the added cost that comes along with its list of features. All X-Dynamic models come with:

• Six-cylinder engine
• Silver and gloss black exterior trim
• Dark-painted wheels
• Illuminated scuff plates
• Black headliner
• Two-tone seats

SE (Defender 110 only)
Adds on to the S with:

• Six-cylinder engine
• 20-inch wheels
• Driver's seat memory settings
• Power-adjustable steering column
• Premium sound system
• Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)

First Edition (Defender 90 only)
This limited-production trim is equipped similar to the SE but has:

• Special paint and trim
• All-terrain tires
• Folding fabric roof
• Special off-road driving modes
• Torque-vectoring differential that can maximize available traction
• Heated front-row seats and heated steering wheel
• Refrigerator compartment in front center console

X-Dynamic SE (Defender 110 only)
Adds the features of the Defender 90 X-Dynamic S package on top of 110 SE's features.

X-Dynamic HSE (Defender 110 only)
Compared to the X-Dynamic SE, the HSE version adds:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Premium leather upholstery
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Defender and the car in front)

X
This top-of-the-line trim offers special styling and paint details. It also comes with just about everything that's otherwise optional on the lower trim levels, including:

• Special off-road driving modes
• Torque-vectoring differential that can maximize available traction
• All-terrain tires
• Heated second-row seats
• Head-up display
• Upgraded 15-speaker sound system

Other significant options for the Defender include:

• Towing Pack (extra off-road drive modes, tow hitch, electronic towing assist)
• Family Pack (third-row seat, three-zone climate control)
• Front jump seat

A variety of accessory packs are also available and include features such as wheel arch flares, a spare tire cover, a roof rack and even an integrated air compressor.